grinding noise from laptop was not a hard drive!

after a power problem, the laptops dvd drive and mains plug broke down, and a grinding sound could then always be heard from the system. after replacing the hard drive in a test, I can now safely say that its not a grinding hard drive at all. the harsh noise seems to be from the systems cpu fan.

usually after a few mins of use the noise gets lower (almost disappears), as the temperature of the system increases. I have blown out all of the dust, but the noise remains. whats my other option? would a fan replacement or oiling really solve the issue? I dont have a small enough screwdriver here to remove the fan, and wouldnt be too sure on what to use if an 'oiling' was necessary-no doubt a replacement would be the best bet? surely its not the cpu itself creaking away-lol. thanks for any suggestions if possible. is a grinding/loud fan over a few yrs of use a common problem in laptops? this system is from 2007

it wasnt spinning when I blew the dust out. I think finding a replacement is prob the easiest option, if I can get one the correct size together with a very small screwdriver, lol. if I can still hear it buzzing after a replacement, im not sure what that might be suggesting! thanks

ok very last post on this subject-I replaced the fan with one from the very same model of laptop (msi vr601), and theres no longer any buzz, in the original laptop. So it was definately the fan all along.

according to one post in that second link it could be a problem with the gold arm that holds it all in place click here but im going to still try and give it a bit of oiling as a last resort, and buy a backup (very difficult to find, as laptop is nno longer being manufactured, have posted this in consumerwatch).. at least I found out the true cause in the end (from the original user, i have now been told that the plug giving up at the same time the buuzz started was a mere coincidence)!

The new fan I have now for this VR601 MSI laptop (its identical to the original-I ordered from Japan, due to the lack of finding any which were identical in the uk) is.... now making the same noise as the last! Its the loudest I have ever heard a fan, and compared to the original, it sounds like a grinding dying hair dryer on full blast. lol. As a last resort-I tried turning the laptop on its side, and the noise would occassionally stop>start>stop or lower. Upside down the noise stopped making the noise (eventually!) but the fan was in both cases still blowing out warm air, always working.

Since its happening with my new fan also, that would suggest, as in the last link in my previous post, that its possibly the gold arm causing the problem, or an issue with how its held in the system.. but surely the fan operating at what seems to be "full speed" constantly, would suggest that its power related? Ive no idea how this issue can be solved, as the new fan seems to sit fine. Ive tried both putting the fan in with a tight or slightly loose fit, but that makes no difference. The youtube vids are in the last post, if anyone wants to try working out the solution-replace the laptop? lol

The 'arm' is actually a copper heatpipe to transfer heat from the CPU heatsink to the fan part. When you dismantled it did you replace the thermal paste? If not that may be causing the CPU to overheat and overstressing the fan by having it on allt he time.

When I dismantled my laptop I found that the heatpipe/heatsink contact on the CPU was poor and made a copper shim to increase the pressure and used one of the best thermal 'pastes'. Since then the fan hardly ever spins up.

I previously replaced the laptop fan, and nothing else, which was a simple enough 5 second job. Im not sure if id be comfortable enough to do anything else, just in case I made the machine worse-Id probably need a guide, lol, even if only to reassure myself that I was doing it right! Always moving the machine, either from a lap to a completely level table can also often get rid of the noise-as well as doing the opposite can (if the noise is heard when on a table).

Ive tried some cpu heat checking programs, and its supposedly never too high in temperature. The new fan I used to replace the old one (when I believed it was that causing the problem) DID get rid of the noise, but only for a few weeks, so I was then fairly certain that it must be something holding the fan in place, thats also related to triggering differing fan speeds, causing the problem. thanks